


My Snowflake

by Valex_Charme



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, M/M, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-13 04:39:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valex_Charme/pseuds/Valex_Charme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam and Niall are best friends. When Liam has to move away, they have one last chance to finally say what they truly feel. But are they brave enough to confess their feelings? Is it even worth it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friday

**Author's Note:**

> The title is not an abuse of Niall's designated fan-title of Snowflake but is actually relevant to the story. Let's just all get past it. 
> 
> Fill for: "a niam where they confess their feeling at like 13 or 14?" - anon
> 
> Liam and Niall are 14 years old. Their friends are likewise the same age.

_Niall’s coming over for the weekend today_ , Liam thought happily, humming a tune. He had just finished putting away the last of his clothes in a box before taping it shut. Plopping down on his soft bed, Liam wondered what would happen now. He was moving away after this weekend and he probably will not be able to see Niall for a few years, if at all. A frown soon replaced his happy smile. 

Liam’s father had landed a promotion he was so long working towards. Sure Liam was happy. It finally meant that his dad was getting what he deserved for what were years of hard work and diligence. _But why did it have to be in the States?_ Liam thought sadly. 

The Paynes had a family meeting about the big move… or rather his parents told him their plans after a Sunday night dinner a few weeks before they were planning on leaving. Liam was devastated. They had built their lives in this modest Wolverhampton row house. This was the first place his parents lived in together; it was where he took his first steps, where he was raised. His dad remodeled the entire second floor and his mum hosted her book club meetings in the living room. This house was even the place where he asked a girl to be his first girlfriend and where he got his first kiss. For them to just up and leave everything that was so familiar for something so foreign was simply baffling. 

His mother held on to his hand tightly as he fought back his tears. Liam would have to leave all of his friends behind. All the familiar faces and all the familiar sights. Worst of all, he would have to leave Niall. 

/

“So what are we going to do all weekend?” Niall asked, lying on his side on Liam’s bed as Liam went about hooking up his PlayStation 3 to the telly. There were too many darn wires and if Liam cursed he would have. 

Liam wiped the sweat from his forehead before turning back to his blonde friend. He could see Niall’s crooked teeth through his bright smile. Liam loved it when Niall was happy because his smile always made other feel at ease. He found himself smiling back, though he knew Niall was faking it. Niall was hurting on the inside just as badly as Liam was. 

When he had told his best friend about the news, Niall had glued himself to Liam in a vise grip hug. He buried his face against Liam’s neck and would not let go for fifteen minutes straight. He did not cry but Liam knew how he felt. And he just stood there, rubbing Niall’s back soothingly – knowing how much he already missed him. 

“Did you think I planned out our entire weekend?” Liam asked with furrowed brows. “Since when do we ever plan our weekends?” 

Niall shrugged. “I just thought since it was going to be our last that you would have planned something special.” He looked down at the bed sheets as his finished saying, feeling himself blush a little. 

He ruffled Niall’s blonde head as he sat down next to his friend, passing him a controller. Niall always used Liam’s blue controller because Liam once said that it matched his eyes. He remembered how flushed his face turned back then as he looks at the plastic controller in his hands now. Then Niall remembered how the controller “mysteriously” stopped working half-way through a firefight. 

Liam apologized profusely amidst Niall’s torrent of threats. The next day, Liam had invited Niall for a rematch and revealed that he bought a new controller just for him, another blue one but one that worked. Niall had won the following rematch and used the blue controller ever since. 

Niall looked at the plastic controller in his hand, turning it around. Just looking at it. It was not anything special, just another controller for the PS3. But at the same time, it meant so much to Niall that Liam would go through the trouble of getting a new one just for him. _Maybe I’m just being ridiculous_ , he thought as he pressed the button to get his soldier into cover. _Maybe he meant to buy a new one to replace it anyway_. 

“Headshot!” Niall shouted in triumph as he watched Liam’s soldier’s head explode in a red burst on the screen. Fist in the air, he turned to see Liam’s reaction. 

Liam slumped and let out a sigh, cheeks puffing out as air left his lungs. “I really should just wait for backup instead of charging in.” 

Though he was bummed that he got shot way too early in the game, Liam could not help but laugh a little after seeing Niall get shot as he was gloating to Liam. 

“What!” Niall shouted at the screen as he saw his soldier’s body limp to the ground dead. He cursed at his killer though the other players could not hear him because Liam did not own a mic for online gaming. Liam said it was because his mom did not want him talking to weirdoes online. 

Liam bumped his shoulder against Niall to let him know to stop cursing and start playing again as their characters respawn on the battle map. This time, their characters were team mates going against another pair of players. 

Niall barked out his outrageous plan of attack as he charged in to the fray, guns blazing. Liam smiled to himself wondering when this kid who was so quiet and shy when they first met turned into this verbal and outgoing lad. 

He remembered the first day Niall walked into his homeroom class. Immediately, he was known as “the new kid” or “the one with crooked teeth” or “that weird kid from Ireland.” But Liam saw through all that and just saw a lonely kid who left everything he knew behind. 

“Liam! What the hell?!” 

“What?” Niall threw an angry finger at the screen showing both of them shot down. All Liam could say about that was “Oh.” 

/

“Thanks again for the dinner, Mrs. Payne!” Niall called out as he and Liam ran up the stairs to Liam’s bedroom, each boy carrying a root beer bottle in each hand. 

“You’re welcome, sweetie!” replied Mrs. Payne with a wave at the retreating boys. 

The door slammed close behind Liam as he and Niall jumped on his bed. Niall dropped his bottle by the side of the bed and hugged his tummy. “I’m so full,” he moaned happily. “Your mom makes the best pasta!” 

Liam sat himself down next to his friend, taking a swig of his root beer before plopping down beside him. “I’m amazed there was any left for the rest of us,” he teased as he tickled Niall’s sides, making the slightly smaller boy curl up in giggles. 

“Stop! You’re going to make me throw up!” Niall warned in between gasps for breath. He tried to repel Liam by gently kicking him off but Liam was ever the artful dodger. 

When Liam finally stopped, the two boys lied next to each other, panting and laughing lightly. Liam turned his head to look at his best friend. Studying how Niall’s dark roots were beginning to show and how Niall would eventually dye it away. He liked Niall’s natural hair colour when it tried to peak through; the added layer of colour summed up Niall pretty well. He was always loud and crazy with Liam and their friends but was otherwise quite tame around others. 

Niall caught him staring and turned to look back. “What?” 

Liam reached out to touch Niall’s hair and said “I like it when you forget to dye your hair.” He pulled a few strands, massaging Niall’s scalp. “I’m going to miss it.” 

Niall held his breath. There it was again. That feeling of dread that came when he was reminded of the day that Liam would leave him. He looked into Liam’s brown eyes and big smile and tears began to flow but Niall smiled away the unhappiness threatening his weekend. He breathed out slowly. “I’m going to miss you, Liam.” 

The hand playing with the blonde locks stopped and the room grew silent with only the even breathing of two boys. Liam continued to observe at his friend’s face even as Niall did the same to his. Things they have wanted to say to the other threatened to spill out as the gravity of the situation finally pressed on them. 

_Would it better if I just didn’t tell him? Wouldn’t it just hurt him if he knew?_ Liam thought. He looked at those big blue eyes, always sparkling as if in perpetual wonder. _I love you, Niall. In ways you don’t even know. I wish I could stay_. 

_He would freak out anyway. I don’t want to ruin our friendship over something stupid_ , Niall thought. As he thought this, he looked at those chocolate eyes. He thought from the moment he saw them on that first day of school that they were the friendliest things he had ever seen. _Liam, I think I’m… gay. A-And I love you. I don’t want you to go. Please don’t leave me._

The ringing of Niall’s phone tore them from their mutual gazing and they both released a breath they did not know they were holding, Niall releasing his in a frightened jerk and Liam with a slow sigh. 

Niall let out a loud curse and his eyes widened comically. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and saw a text from his mum reminding him that they were picking him up on Sunday morning. 

“Woman is going to scare me to death!” Niall swore as he jumped back on the bed beside Liam. 

Liam leaned his head on his elbow, an idea forming in his head. “You know what’ll really scare you to death?” he asked with a sly smile. 

Niall narrowed his eyes. “No. What?” he asked warily. 

Liam looked to his left and right, as if searching for an eavesdropper before leaning in close to Niall’s ear to whisper, “Slenderman.” 

Niall could only scoff as Liam leaned back with a mischievous smile. “He isn’t real, Liam.” But as he said it, a slight chill traveled up the back of his neck. 

“Then you won’t mind if we play a round of SLENDER?” Liam asked with a tilted head. “Unless you’re scared!” He added that last part while pinching Niall’s cheeks. Liam knew Niall hated it when anyone pinched his cheeks because it made him feel small and childlike. But whenever Liam did it, Niall let it go without much fuss. 

Scrunching his face to alleviate the pain, Niall watched Liam grab his laptop and settle beside him. They sat cross-legged, Niall leaning on Liam’s shoulder to watch him start up the game. Niall had only heard of the game but he never actually played it. Word around YouTube was that it was one of the scariest games out there. 

“I should warn you though,” Liam said as the startup was about to finish. “I’ve never played this before.” Niall looked at him and saw that Liam was wearing a very excited smile. 

_Who in their right mind wants to be scared shitless?!_ Niall thought as he saw the screen depict a dark forest. 

Equipped with only a flashlight, Niall watched in utter horror as the girl Liam controlled walked around the forest while being stalked by a being of simple but unimaginable terror. 

/

It was a little after midnight when Liam looked at the window again. He pulled his sheets a little closer as he stared out into the night sky. Little noises kept keeping him up after he and Niall had turned in. _Why did I have to play that stupid game!_

*creak*

Liam’s head shot towards his telly. The cabinet it rested on always creaked like that but only now did it really start to bother him. He knew the Slenderman was fiction. But dang his imagination for being so energetic tonight! Every little crevice, every dark corner, every shadow could be the Slenderman and Liam was utterly terrified! 

Meanwhile, Niall was pulling his covers tightly around himself. The futon he slept in during his stays at Liam’s was situated beside Liam’s bed. He usually did not complain since it was actually very comfortable and he could take advantage of the late night breezes coming in from the window. But now, he had a prime view of the dark underside of Liam’s bed; a view he was currently trying to avoid by staring at the wall. _Damn it, Liam._

*creak*

“Uhm, Niall?” Liam called out as he lowered his head over the edge of his bed and above Niall’s futon. 

Niall looked away from the wall to look into Liam’s frightened expression. He looked so much like a puppy spooked by some larger creature; a puppy just begging to be picked up and hugged. 

“Yeah, Liam?” 

He could see Liam bite his lower lip before continuing, as if second thinking what he was going to say. “Could you come up here for a sec?” 

Luckily for Liam, Niall did not hesitate to climb over onto the bed and settle himself a respectable distance from Liam. Liam scooted a bit to give Niall space since he decided to also bring two of his pillows along with him. “What is it?” Niall asked once he was comfortably settled. 

Suddenly, Liam looked away and had to stifle a giggle. “It’s a little embarrassing.” 

Niall snickered too. “What? What is it?” 

“I keep thinking the Slenderman will come get me.” Though he was still terrified of that impossibility, he could not help but laugh about it now. He was being ridiculous! 

“Aww!” Niall cooed. “Is the big and strong Liam scared?” 

Liam lightly punched his friend. “Shut up!” he said though with as much conviction as the force of his punch. Liam looked straight at Niall who was still snickering. “Could you just sleep here with me? Just for tonight?” 

The invitation was totally out of nowhere. Niall never slept on Liam’s bed before and he always dreamt of the day he would, holding Liam in his arms and resting his head on Liam’s strong chest. He could feel his face burn slightly as his laughter faded. 

“Yeah, sure,” Niall breathed out. 

Niall could see Liam’s wide smile at that. “Thanks. And I’m sure you’re scared too!” 

“Am not!” Niall protested as Liam pulled him in for a sideways hug. “Come off it!” 

The otherwise silent night was now disturbed by the shuffling of sheets and the stifled laughter of two boys. Eventually, the two finally tired themselves and soft breathing returned. 

Liam wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, pulling Niall against his chest in a snug cuddle. Niall’s breathing had turned even and steady, leaving Liam to believe his friend had finally fallen asleep. He always wanted this: having Niall feel safe and secure in his arms – even though he was the one in need of security. Those thoughts aside though, Liam was content. Taking his chances, Liam pressed a soft kiss to the back of Niall’s neck, lips lingering a little longer than was appropriate for friends. 

“Nialler.” His embrace tightened and his drooped closed. Pressing his face against the small of Niall’s back, Liam fell asleep. 

Slowly, Niall put his hands over where Liam’s was holding him by his midsection. “Liam,” he murmured sleepily. 


	2. Saturday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Niall and Liam met when they were both 13. It's now summer.

“No running by the pool, Harry! Louis!” Liam shouted after seeing said friends running precariously along the rim of the pool. Harry turned his head to heed Liam’s warning but gave Louis the opening he needed. Liam watched horrified as Louis tackled Harry straight into the deep end of the pool with a splash. 

Those two were the livelier bunch of Liam and Niall’s friends. Liam met those two in middle school; he caught them filling another student’s locker with naughty magazines, having it lean against the door so when the locker opened they would spill embarrassingly on the locker owner. Being the vigilant hall monitor that he was, Liam walked over to confiscate the contraband. 

But then Liam saw that the locker belonged to a very unpopular bully, one that Liam was not particularly fond of at that. Louis and Harry were horrified as Liam walked over towards them. When Liam continued through the hall without even bothering them, the two pranksters nodded to each other and closed the locker, compromising parcels ready to ruin their target.

A day later, the student was called up to the principal’s office and suspended after his third offense of possessing contraband. 

Now about a year later since then, Niall sat by the edge of the pool watching the two wrestle underwater while idly wondering whether he would need to jump in should one of them drown. Luckily he did not have to dwell on it for too long since Harry kicked off the pool floor and resurfaced.

“Niall! Help me!” Harry pleaded as he filled his lungs with air. “Louis is trying to kill me! And he might finally succeed!” 

“Get off!” Niall laughed as he pulled his legs away from Harry’s reaching hands. “You’re being ridiculous.” When Niall had become Liam’s friend, he did not think he was signing up to be friends with these two. But he was glad for it. Most of the time, anyway.

“You better watch yourself, Harry. I think I can see Louis circling like a shark.” Niall turned around to the source of the voice and saw his reflection on a pair of aviator sunglasses. The glasses rested on the face of a girl who was holding a Starbuck’s coffee cup in one hand and was dressed in a loose top and short denim shorts. Her long brown hair hung carelessly behind her instead of its usually arranged cascades. 

“Eleanor!” Niall said in greeting, standing up to give the girl a hug. 

“Look who else decided to turn up,” Liam said as he led Zayn and Danielle to his backyard. Danielle’s hair was tied up in a bun, as opposed to its usual freefall waves, and she was sporting matching board shorts with Zayn. 

Harry and Louis both got out of the pool to hug the new arrivals much to Zayn’s dismay. 

“I’m still wearing dry clothes, Lou!” Zayn complained as he took off his now damp shirt, leaving him only clad in his board shorts. “I didn’t bring a spare.” A passerby would have stopped in their tracks to comment on how Zayn’s hair was impeccably well done for a pool party. But Zayn did say, _If you’re going to get out of bed, at least look good._

Louis and Niall snickered as Zayn grumbled about how he will have to watch his shirt sundry. “Hey, babe,” Louis greeted as he gave Eleanor a peck on the lips and a full body hug. “You don’t mind me making you wet do you?” he asked his girlfriend, waggling his eyebrows comically. 

Eleanor laughed as she pushed her boyfriend off by his chest. It was just like Louis to make the first dirty joke of the day. 

“It’s not like he’d actually know what that would look like anyway,” Zayn whispered to Niall, causing the blonde one to laugh uproariously before stifling himself when Louis and Eleanor looked at them with curious eyes.

Danielle rolled her eyes at her friends. “I’m sure you’re going to miss that one, huh, Liam?” she commented as she pointed her thumb at Louis trying to douse Zayn and Niall with cold water from a bottle. 

Cocking his head to the side, Liam feigned deep thought before answering. “I’m not sure about that,” he said, laughing as Harry cornered poor Nialler, leaving the blonde one cringing as the ice cold water splashed over his white skin. “Definitely not sure about that.”

/

Liam did not know what to expect when Louis suggested they have a going-away party for him. He did not know what they could possibly do at his house since all he had was a pool, television, and PS3. The girls were not particularly eager to play video games and the guys were not up for a movie day. But leave it to Louis to make an otherwise lazy afternoon by the pool into a pretty fun one.

After everyone had their hour by the pool to just lie around and catch some sun, he sneakily took Zayn and Niall to a part of Liam’s house--that apparently Liam had overlooked--and came back out to the pool area to pelt everyone with water balloons. Now Louis did not want a fight that was one sided so he had Niall surreptitiously plant ammo where the others were sure to flee once they were bombed. 

The girls were floating peacefully on their inner tubes, eyes closed and hidden from the sun underneath sunglasses. Danielle’s long hair lazily drifted on the water as she used her fingers to steer herself while Eleanor moaned satisfied as she took a gulp from her cold soda can. The neighbours probably heard Danielle and Eleanor’s shrieks as cold water-filled balloons dropped from the sky when Louis gave the command.

“Lou! I’m going to kill you!” Eleanor screamed as she got out of the pool to chase her boyfriend, throwing her drink at him and grabbing a water noodle to swat him with.

Danielle just shook her head and finally laughed at the situation. She should have known Louis would do something like this. In response, she splashed the boys with pool water using her legs and they flinched away from her. Then Niall and Zayn noticed that Harry and Liam were nowhere to be found. 

“Oi, Dani,” Niall called out.

She did not stop kicking her legs, even though she replied. “What?”

Zayn looked left, right, and then left again. “Where are Liam and Harry?”

Danielle stopped her thrashing for a moment as she looked behind Niall and Zayn at the door leading into the house, prompting the two boys to do the same. And then they found out where Harry and Liam went.

“Fire!” Liam and Harry shouted in unison as they unleashed the loads of their water guns at their would-be grenadier attackers. Zayn and Niall could do nothing but shield themselves in futile from the streams of ice cold water as Liam and Harry advanced.

Eleanor trapped Louis at the corner of the backyard and hit him mercilessly with her noodle as he tried to repel by throwing water balloons that he had managed to not drop as he ran. Danielle was laughing from her inner tube, entertained by the turn of events. That was until Liam shot at her instead when Niall dove into the pool to hide from Liam, leaving a colorful assortment of water balloons to float at the pool’s surface in his wake.

Zayn had thrown a balloon straight at Harry’s face and snatched the water gun from a dazed Harry. Meanwhile, Louis picked up his laughing girlfriend after running out of water balloons and carried her to a safe distance away from the water fight to watch, both exhausted from their exertions.

“Agh! Zayn!” Liam yelped as Zayn shot him right in the ear, causing the larger boy to dive into the pool to elude the attack. 

“You can’t hide from me anymore, Payne!” Zayn shouted as he jumped in after him, making a huge splash as he did a cannon ball into the pool.

/

Liam’s parents came home to a very wet backyard and a handful of tired teenagers. They were relieved to find out that no one was hurt while they were gone, especially since everyone decided to run around the wet pavement and grass. Liam proudly pointed out that he made sure no one ran too close to the pool lest they injure themselves, eliciting an eye roll from both Louis and Eleanor. 

The sky had gone orange as the sun began to set and everyone retired to the inside of the Payne house. As they filed into the kitchen, everyone was delighted to see that Liam’s parents had gotten them Nando’s for dinner. Liam ruffled Niall’s hair and commented, “One last meal between you and me.” 

“Why couldn’t we get tacos?” Harry whined as he picked up two chicken breasts from the table to put on his own plate.

“‘Cos Liam’s parents like Niall more than you,” Zayn teased as he followed Harry in the line for food. Harry pouted all the way to the bowl of chips. 

With plates and bowls of food, they gathered in the living room and in front of the empty fire place. Louis and Eleanor huddled closely on a sofa, using the arm rests to hold their plates. Zayn and Harry leaned back on the sofa that Niall, Liam, and Danielle were sitting on. Zayn took it upon himself to turn on the telly and tune into a generic movie that no one, not even he, watched.

The room was comfortably cool and Liam had brought down blankets and pillows for everyone to lie on. Niall curled up around his blanket and rested his head on Liam’s shoulder, chewing contentedly on his chicken. Liam looked around at the people who became his friends. How had he managed to put together this odd bunch?

“You know mate,” Zayn started as he swallowed a spoonful of rice. “We’re going to really miss you.” A round of affirmative nods and “Yeahs” followed. 

“Aw,” Liam cooed. “Thanks, guys. You’re all the best.” Niall looked to Liam and saw how his eyes twinkled in the soft light of the lamps. He was so happy that he got to spend this day with his friends, knowing that it would be their last with him. 

They went around their group, remembering their favorite memories about Liam throughout their short friendship. Harry started the trend by relaying how Liam was a teacher’s aide for his history class and, as such, was in charge of grading minor quizzes. Laughing now, he told the group how Liam wrote the comments in the “nicest” way possible to convey why a student was completely and utterly wrong.

“And I quote, ‘I know you had the right answer in mind, but Prince of Wales doesn’t have an ‘h.’’” Zayn slapped Harry’s back playfully as the youngest boy broke down laughing as he finished. “He even put a smiley face but didn’t give credit!”

Liam just blushed slightly when everyone giggled at him but knew it was in good fun. It was not his fault some teenagers still did not know how to spell. 

It was Louis’ turn to recall some funny memory to tell his circle of friends so told them about the time his parents asked Liam to babysit his sisters. He convinced his parents to let him have Liam over to watch his sisters while they go out on their dinner date.

“‘Well, alright,’ mum said. ‘As long as you get your sisters to finish their homework, Liam can help you keep an eye on them.’”

Louis then told them that he spent the better part of that night glued to his telly before his sisters called him upstairs. He thought that maybe Liam needed him for a demonstration or something because what else was he going to need Louis for? 

“And then, I opened the door and saw Liam’s face covered in paint!” Louis exclaimed, his hands gesturing to his face to show them what he saw that night. “It looked like Lottie and Georgia gave him some tribal war tattoos but somehow war lines make Liam look like a little puppy.”

Liam laughed at that. He remembered that night when the two girls _needed_ to practice for “art class” and he volunteered himself for their face painting. “I guess the girls were practicing animal faces because I remember you sporting a kitty cat face when your parents came home.”

Louis stuck his tongue out when everyone turned to laugh at him.

“You were a little pussy cat?” Eleanor asked him as he shuffled uncomfortably underneath everyone’s gaze. Harry pawed and meowed at him from his place at the foot of the sofa, Zayn following suit and the others giggling at their antics.

“I was a fearsome lion as I recall!” Louis huffed haughtily. “I had a mane.”

Niall snickered. “You sure you didn’t mistake them for whiskers?” Louis narrowed his eyes at Niall but kept his playful smile. Eventually though, Louis held his hands up to silence their laughter and let Zayn begin his sharing.

“I suppose the best memory I have with Liam was when he taught me how to swim,” Zayn said apprehensively. “Worst day of my life though, I should tell you.” He went on to tell them how it took copious amounts of reassurances and time to convince Zayn to even consider getting below waist level. “Thought I was going to drown every second I was in his pool,” he said, gesturing to the pool he was skillfully playing in earlier that afternoon. 

“I thought you did an admirable job, Zayn,” Liam commented in response to Zayn’s claim that he probably pissed Liam off that day. “It took me a week to convince him to stop using the arm floaters though.” 

Pinching Zayn’s cheeks, Harry cooed. “I think you would look so in adorable those arm floaters and a smiling baby turtle inner tube.”

“Get off,” Zayn said, shrugging him off playfully. 

“I’m sure you wouldn’t have drowned, Zaynie,” Danielle offered. “Liam has big, strong arms to keep you safe.” As if to emphasize her point, she made Liam flex his bicep for them while swooning at him jokingly. 

Niall watched from the other side of the couch as Liam and Danielle held each other’s gaze as she began to tell her memory. He felt a tug at the pit of his stomach as he was reminded that Danielle was Liam’s first girlfriend and that they were once hopelessly enamoured with each other. Under the cover of his blanket, he pulled his knees close to his chest to hopefully contain his jealousy.

“I remember when there was a thunderstorm one afternoon,” Danielle began her story. “And I said ‘I can’t believe some girls are scared of--’ and the thunder cuts me off making me jump!” Everyone laughed as she recreated the sound of thunder along with her hands to accent her roar. 

“And I told her that even if she wasn’t scared of thunder,” Liam continued, pulling Danielle in close for a kiss on the cheek. “I would still keep her safe from it.”

Eleanor and Louis _aww_ ed and snuggled a bit closer. Zayn and Harry just made blanching faces. And Niall just sat there looking at blanket intently.

“And then a month later we break up!” Danielle deadpanned as she pushed Liam off her before he could kiss her cheek. “No hard feelings though,” she finished, patting his face softly.

The group settled into a comfortable silence after that; neither Eleanor nor Niall were willing to divulge any particular memory. Eleanor for her part did not really hang out with Liam much except when they had class together so she probably could not top Danielle’s contribution. Niall, however, was busy mulling through his brain--trying to figure which of his memories with Liam was his favourite. 

_BEEP_

“Oh,” Eleanor sighed. “My dad’s here to pick us up.” She stood up and gave Liam a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Goodbye, Liam. Stay safe.” She lingered by, waiting for Louis and Harry to say their goodbyes as well.

“I’m going to miss you, Li-Li!” Louis cried dramatically as he gave Liam a fierce hug. 

Liam patted Louis firmly in the back, hugging him back just as strongly. “I’m going to miss you to--” 

“Mmm,” Harry hummed into Liam’s back as he hugged him too; Liam now stuck in between the two boys. “I’m going to miss you more, Leeyumm!” Danielle covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her snickers but Zayn and Niall were keeled over laughing on the floor at the Liam sandwich.

“Okay, okay,” Eleanor grunted as she pried the three of them apart. “It’s dark and we all need to go home.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” Louis said finally, all the mirth of the afternoon very much diminished in his blue eyes. He followed Eleanor to her father’s car, Harry muttering a soft “goodbye” before following them too. 

Zayn and Danielle left a few minutes after. But not before Zayn reminded him that now that he would be in America, they could keep track of boss monster spawn times even more efficiently in their MMO game. Danielle was last to say goodbye that night, hugging Liam closely.

“You were the best boyfriend,” she said. “And an even better best friend.” Danielle gave Liam a quick kiss on the lips for the last time. It was brief but Zayn wolf-whistled nonetheless. Liam blushed when it was over and stuttered in his goodbye. “You’re going to make a girl in America very happy, Liam.”

 _And leave me pretty much heartbroken_ , a certain blonde boy thought forlornly. Niall stayed on the couch, still underneath blankets and eyes slightly averted in envy. He barely noticed when Danielle waved goodbye to him, nodding and waving only after Zayn said goodbye. 

/

After Liam and Niall finished putting away the used dishes in the dishwasher and leftovers in the fridge, they retired to Liam’s bedroom upstairs, carrying the various blankets and pillows with them. They were completely exhausted from their afternoon exertion by the pool and the trip upstairs felt like climbing a mountain. With full hiking gear in the form of soft fleece and cotton.

“Wow,” Liam remarked as he saw a small gift box in green wrapping and a bright yellow bow resting on his bed. He looked to Niall with the widest smile, definitely pleasantly surprised.

Niall gave him a grin back. “It was Louis’ idea. He wanted us to make a going-away present for you and had me hide it here when he took me to fill up water balloons.” He went over to it and handed it to Liam. “Go on,” Niall said eagerly.

Grinning, Liam carefully tore open the wrapper, which was clearly Louis’ doing because it looked like it was wrapped by a cow. Inside, he found a card signed by everyone who had came today plus a few more of his friends and teachers from school. He read a few of the messages aloud with Niall pointing out that there was barely any space for some people to leave notes because everyone wanted to say goodbye. 

“Oh, what’s this?” Liam asked as he pulled out a plastic wristband with the word _Zianourry_.

“That’s our names smushed together, see,” Niall explained. “The Z- is for Zayn, the -ia for you, the -n- for me, the -ou- for Louis, and the -rry for Harry.” 

Liam laughed at the silliness of it but found himself wearing it. “How do you even pronounce that?”

Niall shrugged as he lied down on his futon. “I have no idea. Harry made it up and we just went with it,” he yawned. 

Liam jumped on his bed and threw a pillow at a stretching Niall. “No energy for a game then?” he asked nodding towards the television. 

A wide yawn was Niall’s reply before he curled himself in his sheets and pillows. 

“Alright. Good night, Nialler,” Liam said, leaning over the edge of his bed.

Niall smiled sleepily at him. “You sure I don’t need to keep you from the Slenderman?” he suggested, hoping that Liam would let him sleep on his bed again. It was definitely more comfortable than the futon. And having Liam curl around him was nice too.

Smiling, Niall remembered the feeling of waking up in Liam’s embrace. How perfectly they fit together; the feel of Liam’s strong arm wrapped around his waist; Liam’s face resting on the small of his back. He thought of telling Liam exactly how he felt that morning now, how nice it felt to finally be held by the boy of his dreams. 

But, flushing slightly, Liam shook his head. “I think I can manage tonight.” 

Disappointed, Niall frowned deeply when Liam turned away to go back to his pillows. He cursed himself for being too scared to tell Liam. 

The lamplight was extinguished with a flip of a switch and the soft breathing of two boys filled the room. After a while, Liam found himself unable to sleep and snuck a peek at Niall.

“Can’t sleep?” Niall asked him through hooded eyes. It was hard to miss the shuffling of sheets when he could not sleep either, even though he was exhausted.

“No.”

Silence passed. A pair of yawns. 

“Liam?”

“Yeah, Niall?”

Niall bit his lower lip before continuing. “Do you remember when we first spoke to each other?”

“Yeah,” Liam answered, head tilted to the side. “Why do you ask?”

“It was cold that day,” Niall commented, a lazy laugh escaping his lips. “And I forgot to wear an extra layer.”

Liam smiled, remembering that day clear in his mind. “It snowed that day.” He remembered because he saw a blonde Irish boy out in the courtyard with nothing but a wool jumper to keep himself warm. His cheeks were kissed rosy by the cool winter breeze. Liam remembered walking over to him but stopped when snow began to fall.

Niall looked up at the cloudy sky, azure eyes aglow in delight. It was snowing. He held up his ungloved hands to catch the snow as it fell, shivering as a soft breeze blew past him. That was when Niall felt eyes on him and turned around. He saw a brown haired boy staring at him a few feet away. He saw that boy in his homeroom. His name was Liam.

Liam watched the boy shiver as snow began to fall when he turned around. His eyes were dazzlingly blue and his pink lips were set in a shy but warm smile. Liam could see the boy’s pale complexion lightly flushed. He could not see his features under the harsh light in the classroom, but Liam could appreciate them out here. 

“Hullo,” the boy, Niall, said in an accent unmistakably Irish. 

“Hi,” Liam greeted, holding out his hand for a handshake. “I’m Liam Payne.”

Niall made to take his hand but a snowflake floated in front of his eyes, landing plainly on his blushing cheeks. The blonde boy strained his eyes, trying to observe the pretty ice crystal resting on his face before it melted away. His tongue stuck out in concentration, hand awkwardly stopped a few inches away from Liam’s.

Liam watched, fascinated but he did not know why. 

More than a year later, he finally realized why. He was not going to meet anyone like Niall. He was wonderful and adorable. He was fun and carefree. He was special and no new friend in America could hope to replace him. Niall was like a snowflake. Special and unique.

“One of a kind,” Liam whispered into the darkness of his room. “You’re my favourite memory, Niall.” 

When Liam got a soft snore in response, he peeked over the edge of his bed to see that Niall had finally fallen asleep. His little mouth left open and drooling with limbs splayed all over the place. Liam smiled at the sight, knowing that he was the only one who was afforded the opportunity to enjoy this. Niall may not know it yet, but he was Liam’s. His snowflake. _My snowflake_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I anticipate that the last chapter will be very short and will deal with their farewell.


	3. Sunday

This was it. Niall’s parents had come to pick him up and were saying their goodbyes to the Paynes downstairs. Meanwhile, their sons sat on the Liam’s bed, precious seconds passing by silently around them. 

The room was left bare after Niall helped Liam put away the last of his possessions. The PS3 they had shared so many afternoons with was tucked away in a box, never to be used by the two of them together again. The futon Niall always slept in during their frequent sleepovers was rolled up and downstairs, its dedicated tenant soon to be an ocean away. And television they used to stare at during all hours of the night was unplugged and tucked in a corner waiting to be shipped off. 

Niall looked at Liam’s window and remembered the time he sat on the roof much to Liam’s dismay. Oh, how worried Liam was when Niall told him he wanted to stargaze on his roof. Liam followed his gaze and, smiling, broke the silence.

“Remember when you convinced me to stargaze on the roof?” Liam asked as he lied down on his naked bed facing the ceiling. 

Niall smiled as he reminisced. “I remember you being a pansy about!” he teased, lying down too.

“Hey!” Liam said in a scolding tone as he turned to retort. “That was dangerous! You could have fallen off the house!”

“Pfft,” Niall said shrugging him off and rolling his eyes. “But we didn’t. Besides, it was a really lovely night as I recall.”

Liam agreed, thinking about the night sky on that day a few months ago. “We saw Virgo that night.” Indeed, a clear night was to be appreciated when it pulled down its veil of clouds. When Liam saw the Virgin reveal herself in the night sky, he placed his hand on Niall’s and pointed with his other one.

Oh, how fast Liam’s heart beat that night. Under the cloak of night and emboldened by the sight of his zodiac sign he held Niall’s hand without fear. His companion did not mind that night for he, too, was granted confidence in the dark.

Niall acted like it did not affect him that night. But it did. Almost immediately did he want to retract from the touch but then Liam leaned over to point out Virgo for him. Instead, he followed the direction of Liam’s finger and gazed up at the stars, Spica heralding the constellation with its bright twinkle. It was, indeed, a lovely night that night.

“Niall,” a female voice called from the doorway. “It’s time to go.” Both boys sat up to see Niall’s mother beckoning her son. 

“Oh, okay,” Niall said somewhat dejectedly. “I’ll be down in a few.”

His mum gave him an understanding nod and left without a word. 

“So this is it,” Liam said with grave finality, getting up from his bed. 

Niall nodded as he picked up his backpack. He walked over to Liam and stood awkwardly in front of him, unsure of what he really wanted to do or say. 

Liam watched the boy standing in front of him with a heavily growing heart. 

“I--”

“--I…”

They both sighed meekly as they interrupted each other. Then Niall gestured for Liam to go first.

“I have something for you,” Liam said as he went to a box nearby. It was the box where they had put away his video games and equipment. “Here,” he said, handing Niall a blue controller. 

Niall numbly held the blue controller in his hands, tears threatening to spill. It was the controller Liam had bought for him. The one he would not let anyone other than Niall use. He turned to Liam for an explanation and found those brown eyes hooded and trembling. 

“So you’ll always win in your games,” Liam said simply. 

And then Niall finally cried. His best friend was leaving him. The first boy he ever loved was leaving him. And damn himself for too cowardly to admit it out loud. Niall ran to Liam with his arms fiercely grasping the back of Liam’s shirt. 

“I’m going to miss you, so fucking much,” Niall cried, burying his face against Liam’s neck. 

Liam just let the blonde boy cry, patting his back when he sobbed. He felt the smaller boy’s body shudder under the emotional woe. Liam hugged him firmly, not wanting to let go of his friend. And then he decided. He loved Niall too much to leave without telling him. Without telling him how much he meant to Liam. How much Liam’s life had become so much more fulfilled in the months he has known the boy. 

Liam held the side of Niall’s face softly, smiling at him with that broad smile reserved just for him. They held each other’s gaze, Liam silently asking for permission and Niall finally giving his consent. Before he knew it, he closed the gap and then he was kissing Niall.

Niall let loose the most desperate moan he had been harbouring in the deepest chambers of his chest. He clawed at Liam’s back, their lips melding smolderingly and their breaths hot against each other’s skin. The lips pressed against Liam’s were yielding and pliable, clearly inexperienced against Liam’s own firm ones and he guided him. 

Niall felt his heart flutter and his knees threatened to buckle. He felt like such a weakling, having not been brave enough to confess or act himself. But when he felt Liam’s tongue tentatively try to breach him, Niall let him. And their tongues initiated a desperate and passionate dance that only new and young lovers could perform. 

Arms found their way around Liam’s neck and around Niall’s waist as the kiss went deeper. Teeth clashed and noses bumped. Ragged breaths echoed in the bare room as the two teenagers stumbled onto the bed, Liam crawling on top of Niall. 

When they had stopped, Liam looked upon the boy’s flushed face underneath his. There were tears drying on his cheeks, pink lips slightly apart, and pupils blown wide. And then he saw Niall’s hands balled into fists and shaking. 

Liam was surprised when Niall pushed him off with such force and afraid that his worst fears were about to come true. He was about to lose his best friend over something done on impulse and carelessness. 

“Why’d you do that?” Niall asked as he sat up.

Liam stood awkwardly in front of him, not quite sure how to explain it. But he tried. “Because I care about you, Nialler.”

“But why,” came the small reply. “Why now? When you’re leaving!” The blonde boy held his head low, his gaze cast on his lap, too conflicted to look at Liam.

“I-I couldn’t leave without you knowing.” Liam placed his hands on the other boy’s shoulders. Then on the sides of his face, holding him gently and turning Niall’s face towards his own so they could look at each other. Now, he could see the angry expression evident on Niall’s face.

“But what’s the point?” Niall asked, quietly fuming. He rubbed his wrists anxiously, looking at the boy in front of him. Those brown eyes were so determined. _But for what? Nothing will come out of this._

“The point is,” Liam explained as he covered Niall’s hands with his own. “You know how I feel. How I’ve always felt about you,” he confessed, pulling Niall’s hand close to lips. 

Niall snorted. 

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just that…” Niall started to say in between his fit of sniggers. “I have had the biggest crush on you.” The brown haired boy in front of him had the biggest grin on his adorable face, Niall noted. He was madly proud that not even Danielle was able to make Liam this happy. 

“So, I’m guessing you--”

“--I love you, Liam.” 

/

Downstairs, Niall’s parents were waiting with Liam’s. They said their final farewells and Niall walked out the front door one last time. Before getting in his parents’ car though, he chanced one last glance at Liam standing at the steps in front of the modest row house. 

He waved and Niall waved back. And then a turn of the street later Liam was gone. The similar row houses arranged along the streets kept getting smaller and smaller until they too were gone. Niall was not the one who was leaving, but it sure felt like he would never return to those familiar places. To the park near Liam's house where they would play football. To the ice cream shop where Liam would always order vanilla and him chocolate. 

Niall felt his chest constrict from the growing anguish but calmed down when he saw the blue controller in his hand. He studied it, mindlessly tracing over its buttons and screw holes, not really looking for anything. There were indents from when he threw it across the room in frustration, wear was evident on the analog sticks from intense maneuvers, and the colours and shapes on the buttons were faded. Then he saw the words _For my snowflake_ written in permanent marker along the back. 

Back in his house, Liam was sure that what he felt for Niall was what people would call a teenage love. Fleeting and frequent. But he thought otherwise. Liam knew it was true love and that he was lucky enough to experience it so early in life. And if it was not true love, then it was damn well close enough for him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just take a moment to picture their first Skype date. Unnnfff...
> 
> Also, video game dates 'cause they're guys and play Call of Duty and stuff.


End file.
